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by kitchournas



Category: SKAM (Italy)
Genre: Episode 2.10, Just an excuse to have mama Rametta meet everybody, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-23
Updated: 2018-12-23
Packaged: 2019-09-25 15:02:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,542
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17123591
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kitchournas/pseuds/kitchournas
Summary: Mama Rametta comes back from the movies a little earlier than expected on Friday night.





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**Author's Note:**

> This is mostly Mama Rametta, with a little bit of our boys and their friends.  
> There is a lot of smiling happening in here because my heart is so full of love for all these amazing characters.
> 
> I've never been to Rome and made assumptions purely based on what it was like to live in other big European cities and my knowledge of Italian culture is limited, so feel free to call me out on any glaring mistake.  
> English is not my first language, so apologies again for any mistake left.

Ilaria looks down at her watch as she exits the cinema. It is earlier than she promised Martino, so she considers walking around the city for a bit, looking at the Christmas lights, soaking in the holiday spirit. She tries to enjoy it, but the truth is, she’s tired. It’s a Friday night, the first of the school holidays and the last one before Christmas, so there are a lot of people out. Happy, drunk, singing, loud people. The movie was nice and she did have a good time, so she promises herself to try and go more often, maybe take Marti sometimes, if he lets her. But right now, she yearns for the comfort and warmth of her own home. Maybe she can sneak in unnoticed and camp out in her room, listen to them have fun on the other side of the wall. Maybe the tombalata will even be over and everybody will be gone. She hesitates for a few minutes, and finally makes up her mind and heads to the subway.

It is not over. When she reaches the door of the flat, she can hear bouts of laughter and music coming from inside. She smiles at the sound. The flat has been too quiet, too empty for too long and she is happy Martino felt he could have people over again. She opens the front door carefully and steps inside. There is a group of girls in the living room, singing and dancing along to the music while tidying up, picking up wrapping paper, empty plates, one of them is even sweeping around the table. She doesn’t recognize any of them until a familiar voice exclaims,

“Ilaria!”

Eva emerges from behind the Christmas tree, holding a broken ornament and wearing a bright smile. The other girls all stop what they were doing to turn toward her with curiosity.

“Eva,” is all Ilaria can say before the girl is in front of her, kissing her hello, all red hair and shiny eyes. She hasn’t seen Eva in a long time and never got to know her that well, but she always had a fondness for her, the girl who sometimes had to third-wheel her own boyfriend and his best friend. She guessed that she and Gio broke up when the boys suddenly stopped including her or even mentioning her for a while. She has a sense that something happened, but she doesn’t know what and never dared ask.

“We’re just cleaning up a little, we’re almost done, don’t worry,” Eva assures her before turning to the other girls. “Guys, this is Marti’s mom,” she adds as if they hadn’t put two and two together already.

The girls all fly to her to introduce themselves and Ilaria is briefly overwhelmed by all the attention. They shake her hand, give their names too quickly for Ilaria to remember more than a couple and in the background, she can hear Eva call out,

“Marti, your mom is here.”

Several heads pop out of the kitchen, including her son’s, and she is glad to see that Elia, Giovanni and Luca are among them. Lately, the boys hadn’t been around as much as they used to over the summer. They all greet her enthusiastically. And then, standing with them, her eyes fall on a boy she doesn’t know. He has blond hair and a lip piercing and he looks older than the others. She wonders if this is Niccolò. He doesn’t look how she pictured him, but what does she know?

“Sorry, I know I’m a bit early…” She starts.

But Martino doesn’t look upset. He’s beaming and he cuts her off with a laugh.

“No, don’t worry. We were just cleaning up.” He gestures towards the boys surrounding him.

“Well, you already know these guys, and this is Filippo.”

And then, he grabs the hand of a boy she hadn’t noticed, standing quietly behind Giovanni, and he pulls him into the living room and in her direction.

“And this is Niccolò.”

Even if he hadn’t told her his name, she would have guessed, by both their expressions and the fond looks all their friends are directing at them, that he is the reason the smile has barely left her son’s face all week, the reason why the weight has been lifted off his shoulder in what seemed like an instant. As if on cue, all the others scatter, the girls go back to tidying up the living room and the boys turn back to the kitchen and it is just the three of them left in-between. Ilaria feels a little self-conscious, standing in her living room, surrounded by her son’s friends and suddenly being introduced to his boyfriend. But both boys are looking at her expectantly, Martino with excitement and Niccolò with some obvious nervousness. And the happiness at meeting him far outweighs the awkwardness of the situation, so she extends her hand with as sincere a greeting as she can muster.

“I’m Ilaria, I’m really glad to meet you.”

She is rewarded by a wide grin and a warm hand in hers.

“Niccolò. It’s a pleasure for me, too.”

It is a lot to process and a lot of new people around her and she is not sure what to say to the boy who is looking at her son like he is the sun, but thankfully Martino speaks before she can.

“So, how was the movie? Did you like it?”

“Yes, it was really good. I had a good time.”

His smile turns fond and just a little smug.

“See? I told you you would.”

Behind them, she can hear dishes being rinsed and she offers,

“You really don’t have to clean up, you know. I can do that tomorrow.”

“Of course not, Mom. We made a mess, we’re cleaning it up. And they stayed to help, so it won’t take long, don’t worry.”

“And there’s a lot of leftovers, if you want,” Niccolò offers, pointing at the remaining dishes on the table. “Most of it is pretty good.”

“Well, anything you didn’t cook certainly is,” Martino jokes while looking at Niccolò with something in his eyes that suddenly makes her feel almost as if she was intruding. Niccolò rolls his eyes back at him and there is the same glint in there.

“Well then, I’m going to let you finish and go to my room. You’ll tell me when your friends are leaving so I can say goodbye? No rush of course, take all the time you want.”

Martino’s smile falls a little and his voice suddenly grows more quiet, as he asks with a hint of concern,

“Everything okay?”

She feels the usual guilt that arises every time he worries about her threaten to darken what had been a really good day so far, and she cups his cheek in what she hopes will be a comforting gesture.

“Yes, everything is perfect. I’m just not as young as all of you anymore and I’ve had a long day.”

Martino’s smile returns and the guilt recedes. She turns to Niccolò.

“Are you staying tonight, Niccolò?”

She means it innocently enough, but the boys exchange embarrassed glances and Marti even flushes a little.

“You’re welcome to, of course. Anytime you want.”

She squeezes his arm for emphasis and he gives her a small, but clearly grateful smile.

“And we can get to know each other a little then.”

“I’d love that,” Niccolò replies and Ilaria could swear his eyes have become just a little shinier. She squeezes his arm one last time, then does the same to Martino’s hand.

“See you later, then, boys.”

And she heads down the hallway as the girls wave at her.

 

It feels like just a few minutes have passed when there is a knock at her door, but it must have been longer. She dozed off, happily listening to the joyful chatter in the other room. When she opens the door, she finds Martino standing there.

“You wanted to know when everybody was leaving.”

So she rubs her face to try to clear her head, and she gives everybody a hug, more or less long depending on how well she knows them. Eva and Giovanni, who has been suspiciously absent for the past two months, make theirs extra tight. Filippo is still a mystery that she can solve later. But the way he throws his arms around her son and ruffles his hair with a parting joke betrays a lot of fondness so she’s not worried. And then everybody is gone, and it is just the three of them. Niccolò is leaning into Martino while trying to hide a yawn behind his hand, and she wants nothing more than to go back to bed herself so she turns to them.

“I’ll see you at breakfast, then?”

They both nod in unison.

“Good night, boys.”

They respond in kind, Niccolò with a wave and Martino with a quick kiss, and she heads back to her bedroom. As she opens the door she can’t help glancing back at them. And as her son gently holds the other boy’s face and leans toward him, she quickly steps inside and closes the door behind her to give them privacy.

**Author's Note:**

> The boys probably didn’t actually hang out at the Ramettas’ that much, but let me dream.  
> Also, catch me being emotional about the idea of Eva and Mama Rametta bonding.  
> And as always, thanks to Colette for being a great cheerleader and even better friend and knowing more about Italy than I do.


End file.
